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An adviser to Donald Trump who is tipped to be the next US ambassador to Brussels has admitted that have his application could be blocked by other European Union countries.

Ted Malloch, an academic, admitted that the EU could “block” his chances of becoming US ambassador by making him “persona non grata”.

Mr Malloch, who has been a strident critic of the EU, told a dinner organised by the Thatcherite Institute of Economic Affairs that any blocking would be a “badge of honour”.

He said: “They could block me. The EU could block someone - they have never done (it) – from becoming ambassador so it would be a huge badge of honour."

Mr Malloch said recently that he felt the EU “needs a little taming”, saying: “I had in a previous career a diplomatic post where I helped bring down the Soviet Union. So maybe there’s another union that needs a little taming.”

The European parliament’s main political parties are making an unprecedented attempt to block Mr Malloch from EU buildings, describing him as hostile and malevolent.

Mr Malloch is still yet to be confirmed by the Senate and will have to be vetted by the United States law enforcement agencies first .

Washington then has to send Mr Malloch’s curriculum vitae to the European Commission’s protocol service which makes an assessment in consultation with the office of EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini.

Ted Malloch

Once this process has finished – it usually takes eight weeks - EU capitals have a month to oppose the request and unanimous consent is required for the credentials to be issued.

Usually, any concerns are dealt with privately before the person has been officially announced and there is no record of the EU ever denying a request.

It is very rare to refuse credentials for diplomats, the official said, unless they are discovered to be convicted criminals.

In a wide ranging question and answer session at the IEA, Mr Malloch forecast Mr Trump will seek to cut the US’s grant income to the United Nations.

He said: “The real estate is so valuable it would make a great tower, say a trump tower.

“The United States pays over 20 per cent of the UN budget – we will cut our expenditure both to the UN and specialised agencies by a very significant degree.

“So if you were buying stock in the UN this would be a good time to sell."

A leaked draft executive order from the White House in January set out plans for a 40 per cent cut to US voluntary contributions to international bodies.